A service providing apparatus includes a detection section, an acquisition section, a memory, and a notification section. The detection section detects states of resources which are to be used for providing a service. When an application program which is to perform a service process is added to the apparatus, the acquisition section acquires resource information indicating a resource which is necessary for the application program to perform the service process. The memory stores the resource information and the information of the service process so as to associate the resource information and the information with the application program. When the application program is executed, the notification section specifies a resource associated with the application program, determines whether notification of the state of the specified resource is necessary, and, in a case where the notification is necessary, notifies the application program of information indicating the detected state of the specified resource.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A service providing apparatus comprising: a detection section that detects states of a plurality of resources of the service providing apparatus, the plurality of resources being resources to be used for providing a service; an acquisition section that, when an application program which is to perform a service process is added to the service providing apparatus and during a registration process for the application program prior to an executing of the application program, acquires resource information indicating a resource which is necessary for the added application program to perform the service process; a memory that stores, in association with the added application program, the acquired resource information and information of the service process so as to associate the resource information and the information of the service process with the added application program; and a notification section that, when the added application program is executed, specifies a resource which is associated with the added application program based on the resource information stored in the memory, determines whether it is necessary to notify the added application of the state of the specified resource, and, in a case where it is determined that it is necessary to notify the added application of the state of the specified resource, notifies the added application program of information indicating the detected state of the specified resource among the detected states of the plurality of resources.
2. The service providing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the notification section notifies the added application program of the information indicating the detected state of the resource at least one of (1) at a time at which execution of the added application program is started, (2) at a time at which an instruction to perform the service process with the added application program is provided, and (3) in response to a notification request from the added application program.
3. The service providing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the provision of a service includes at least one of provision of a copy function, provision of a print function, provision of a scan function, and provision of a facsimile function.
4. The service providing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the provision of a service includes at least one of provision of a copy function, provision of a print function, provision of a scan function, and provision of a facsimile function.
5. The service providing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the resource is a consumable item, the state of the resource indicates at least one of an amount of the consumable item which remains, a fact that the amount of the consumable item which remains is insufficient, and whether or not the consumable item is available.
6. The service providing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the resource is a communication line, the state of the resource indicates a connection state of the communication line.
7. A service providing system comprising: vice providing apparatus according to claim 1 ; and an application program that is added to the service providing apparatus, and that notifies a user of information indicating a state of a resource which the application program has been notified of from the service providing apparatus, or notifies the user of whether or not provision of a service based on the information indicating the state of the resource is available.
8. The service providing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein: when the notification section obtains the detected state of the specified resource, the notification section determines to notify the added application program of information indicating the detected state of the specified resource when the added application is executed; and when the notification section obtains a detected state of an unspecified resource, the notification section determines not to notify the added application program of information indicating the detected state of the unspecified resource when the added application is executed, based on the information stored in the memory.
9. The service providing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein whether there exists alternative settings selectable as replacements for a current setting for the application program is determined based on the information indicating the detected state of the specified resource.
10. The service providing apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising an operation display that, when it is determined that there exists the alternative settings selectable as the replacements for the current setting, displays a screen prompting a user to change the current setting.
11. A service providing method comprising: detecting states of a plurality of resources of a service providing apparatus, the plurality of resources being resources to be used for providing a service; acquiring, when an application program which is to perform a service process is added to the service providing apparatus and during a registration process for the application program prior to an executing of the application program, resource information indicating a resource which is necessary for the added application program to perform the service process; storing, in association with the added application program, the acquired resource information and information of the service process so as to associate the resource information and the information of the service process with the added application program; and specifying, when the added application program is executed, a resource which is associated with the added application program based on the stored resource information, determining whether it is necessary to notify the added application of the state of the specified resource, and, in a case where it is determined that it is necessary to notify the added application of the state of the specified resource, notifying the added application program of information indicating the detected state of the specified resource among the detected states of the plurality of resources.
12. The service providing method according to claim 11 , further comprising determining to change, by the application program, settings for the application program based on the information indicating the detected state of the specified resource.
13. The service providing method according to claim 12 , wherein the determining to change the settings comprises, when a plurality of changed settings are available based on the information indicating the detected state of the specified resource, prompting a user to change the settings.
14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process, the process comprising: acquiring states of a plurality of resources of a service providing apparatus, the plurality of resources being resources to be used for providing a service; acquiring, when an application program which is to perform a service process is added to the service providing apparatus and during a registration process for the application program prior to an executing of the application program, resource information indicating a resource which is necessary for the added application program to perform the service process; storing, in association with the added application program, the acquired resource information and information of the service process so as to associate the resource information and the information of the service process with the added application program; and specifying, when the added application program is executed, a resource which is associated with the added application program based on the stored resource information, determining whether it is necessary to notify the added application of the state of the specified resource, and, in a case where it is determined that it is necessary to notify the added application of the state of the specified resource, notifying the added application program of information indicating the acquired state of the specified resource among the acquired states of the plurality of resources.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
April 8, 2013
March 29, 2016
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